Art Therapy: An Anti-Anxiety Colouring Book: An Anti-Anxiety Colouring Book for Adults (Art Therapy Colouring)

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Reading is a great way to wind down. Like coloring, it helps you lose yourself in the moment and forget about your work or other stressors. Try to let go of judgments or expectations and enjoy the simple beauty of coloring. It doesn't matter if your picture is neat or messy. The only thing that matters is if you found enjoyment and relaxation while coloring. Other ways to relieve stress Although coloring isn't the ultimate cure for stress and anxiety, sitting down for a long coloring session holds great value. As you color, pay attention to your breathing rhythm, ensuring steady, full breaths from your diaphragm, and tune into your heart rate periodically if you can. Embracing the imperfect

Val Huet, Chief Executive Officer at the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) spoke to us about how colouring can act as a stepping stone to other therapeutic activities: The soothing nature of jigsaw puzzles allows us to relax, lowering our heart rate and blood pressure. The intense focus means we breathe deeply and release tension. These benefits make jigsaws great for those suffering from stress or anxiety. When doing a jigsaw puzzle we are exercising both sides of our brain simultaneously. This creates the connections that increase our abilities to learn, understand and remember. It also puts the brain into the same mental state we experience while dreaming, therefore naturally inducing this state of imaginative and engrossed meditation." Our worry tree can also be used as a mindful colouring exercise for children or makes a great classroom activity to encourage kids to share their worries and work on solutions together. 3. Mindful colouring bookmarks When you’re having a bad day, sometimes you just have to remind yourself that all is well. And remember, there’s always a rainbow after the rain.It is composed of multiple layers of intricate and symmetrical patterns that radiate from the center. Research shows that this particular activity relaxes the amygdala, the part of the brain that regulates our emotions. Coloring seems to have the same effect as meditation, since it eases and clears the mind. After a hectic day, knitting is very grounding as it encourages you to sit and relax. The activity keeps your brain active as you need to focus on the pattern you are creating, which helps to distract you from every day stresses and anxieties. Anyone at any skill level can knit! Due to its repetitive nature, it's very easy to learn. " Jigsaw puzzles

For many people, colouring books are a first introduction to art-making, an activity they may have previously thought beyond their capability. Anecdotal evidence indicates that they then go on to other art-related activities, which is positive in terms of wellbeing and resilience. It may also get them to explore art therapy as a therapeutic intervention for themselves. Actually using one's hands to do something different than working on keyboards is really useful to calm some of the 'tape on a loop' thoughts. It engages the right-side of the brain which is linked to creativity and imagination." KnittingIt is also thought that the process of colouring – taking our concentration away from work and focusing it on something repetitive and relaxing – helps us distance ourselves from life's stresses, resulting in benefits that are similar to meditation, making the colourer feel calmer and happier. Mindfulness' is defined by the Mental Health Foundation as activities that help us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that, instead of being overwhelmed by them, we are better able to manage them and in turn cope with our daily lives more effectively. So does colouring really fall under this category? Christine thinks so: Coloring is a healthy way to relieve stress. It calms the brain and helps your body relax. This can improve sleep and fatigue while decreasing body aches, heart rate, respiration, and feelings of depression and anxiety. The text is surrounded with a detailed mandala pattern which complements the artwork really well. What colors will you use to create a colorful mandala pattern?

Specifically, walking in the woods. It's been found that Londoners living near trees generally had better mental health than those who didn't. Christine also highlighted that walking through wooded areas can help prevent cancer, as well as working wonders for your mood:

What used to be known as a simple, fun activity for kids now is a tool for practicing good mental health. Coloring has increased in popularity recently, especially for adults. A study conducted by the British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that 80% of individuals suffering from depression felt happier when they knitted. Hayley West, knitting expert at Hochanda, says knitting can give colouring books a run for their money: Did you know that coloring mandala patterns is actually a meditation technique that helps put you at ease? Together with Happiful Kids, we have also created a series of short comic strips to help explain anxiety, mindful colouring, and worry trees to young children. 5. Articles and book recommendations

Coloring images is, without a doubt, a great way to cool down and relax. Imagine how much more therapeutic it is to color artworks with encouraging quotes and mandala patterns? The image shows a motivational message that says “KEEP GOING” in the center of a rectangular mandala. The words are written in capital letters and have a bold outline. Mandalas come in a wide range of colors, with each color signifying different meanings. For instance, yellow means wisdom while purple is for all things spiritual. What colors will you use for this mandala artwork? For example, because you're focusing on color choice and staying inside the lines, you're only thinking about the present moment. You can shut off the noise around you, and give your mind the gift of focusing on the movements, sensations and emotions of your present moment. Joel Bobby is a licensed independent clinical social worker in Psychiatry & Psychology in Austin, Minnesota.Indeed, thousands of these books are being marketed as 'stress-relieving', suggesting that the public is looking for a way to combat the negative effects of modern life. Christine Hohlbaum, author of The Power of Slow: 101 ways to save time in our 24/7 World, spoke to us about the importance of 'me' time, and how colouring fits into this: Some people don't find coloring to be relaxing or enjoyable, especially those who didn't like to color as a child. That's OK. Other fun ways to relieve stress include: But what makes adult coloring so popular? Coloring can improve your health by: Promoting mindfulness Adult colouring books are a one-off short term relaxation device, the pacifier, which will work only if you concentrate. They have no effect in the long term. In the end, a proper programme of mind training is essential. Mindfulness is simply one component of such a programme, but there is more to training the mind than simply trying to sit without thinking." Alternatives to colouring There’s nothing else we want more in life than peace. With peace, we can live a life free of stress and worries.